Online skills-based video games are designed to test how well a game user performs a series of maneuvers and generate a score based on how accurately the user performs those maneuvers. A higher score typically represents a more accurate performance of the required maneuvers. For example, in a skills-based musical game in which a series of notes are displayed on a screen, a game user may be required to play a series of notes as they are displayed on a screen. A performance that perfectly executes the notes displayed on the screen would generate a perfect score. Any improperly played notes or unplayed notes would generate a lower score.
Conventional skills-based games allow a game user to practice his or her performance as many times as he or she wishes. The required series of maneuvers that must be performed by the game user during each practice performance are identical to those maneuvers required during a tournament performance. Continuing the example above, in a musical skills-based game, a user practicing his performance of the song “Hey Jude” would play the same sequence of notes in the same manner, no matter when the performance occurred. In other words, the song “Hey Jude” consists of a predetermined sequence of notes that does not change each time it is played.
In addition to providing a single game user a way to practice his or her skills, skills-based games may also provide multiple game users a means for comparing their skills with each other. For example, skills-based games may be the basis for online tournaments in which game users each simultaneously attempt to perform the same series of maneuvers. The user who most accurately performs the maneuvers generates the highest score and wins.
One problem associated with conventional online skills-based games is that software or mechanical devices may be used to perfectly perform a predetermined series of maneuvers required by the game without any human intervention. For example, a software program, such as a script, may be configured to perfectly execute the same predetermined series of maneuvers required by the game. This script may be embedded into the game client device and executed at the time of the game performance. The result of a client device operated by a software program is a perfect game performance, every time, without requiring any human skill on the part of the game user. Because a game server hosting an online tournament simply receives a series of inputs from each competing game client device, it is unable to distinguish a human user that perfectly performs the required maneuvers from a software script that also perfectly performs the required maneuvers. As the popularity of online skills-based tournaments increases, the monetary or other rewards received by winners of these games also increases, as well as the incentive to cheat. Therefore, it is increasingly desirable to distinguish between human and non-human participants in online skills-based games.
Accordingly, in light of the above described difficulties and needs, there exists a need for improved methods, systems, and computer program products for determining an integrity measure of a game user using dynamic performance events.